In Washington, DC, the family of Sayfollah Musallet, the U.S. citizen who was brutally beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank last week, is demanding accountability and justice.
Musallet’s relatives are urging the U.S. government to conduct its own investigation into the incident, which they believe is necessary for ensuring accountability.
The 20-year-old Florida-born Musallet is the ninth U.S. citizen to be killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers since the year 2022.
Disconcertingly, none of the previous cases involving American fatalities in similar circumstances have resulted in criminal charges or sanctions against the perpetrators from the U.S. government.
This perceived inaction has led advocates to label the pattern as one of “impunity,” where the U.S. demands investigations without imposing significant pressure on Israel for tangible results.
In response to Musallet’s death, President Donald Trump’s administration previously called for Israel to “aggressively” investigate the incident.
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, stated, “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act.”
However, it remains unclear what further actions, if any, the U.S. has taken in seeking justice following the fatal beating of Musallet.
Critics suggest that the legacy of close ties between the U.S. and Israel contributes to this ongoing pattern, with successive administrations affirming unwavering support for Israel and providing it with billions in annual military aid.
Al Jazeera has compiled information on the eight other American victims, how the U.S. has responded to their killings, and the current status of these cases.
Omar Assad, a 78-year-old Palestinian American, was the first victim on record.
On January 12, 2022, while driving home in the occupied West Bank after visiting friends, Israeli soldiers stopped Assad at a checkpoint.
As detailed by an autopsy report and family accounts, troops extricated Assad from his vehicle, handcuffed, gagged, and blindfolded him, ultimately leaving him to die at a construction site in cold conditions.
Then-President Joe Biden’s administration called for an investigation into Assad’s death, but neither the relatives nor Milwaukee lawmakers secured a U.S.-led inquiry, which they had demanded.
Similarly to many prior cases, Israel’s internal investigation did not yield criminal charges against its soldiers.
Israel later asserted that it found no direct link between their treatment of Assad and his death, while the Biden administration chose not to impose any sanctions on the Israeli unit responsible, the Netzah Yehuda battalion, known for its history of violence against Palestinians.
Next, Shireen Abu Akleh, a veteran Al Jazeera reporter, was shot and killed by Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin on May 11, 2022.
As one of the Middle East’s most prominent journalists, her death prompted widespread international outrage among rights advocates and press freedom champions.
Despite the outcry, Israeli forces disrupted her funeral, forcefully attacking the pallbearers carrying her coffin.
Israel initially denied responsibility, claiming that armed Palestinians were the ones who shot Abu Akleh.
However, following multiple investigations demonstrating that Israeli soldiers had specifically targeted her, Israel eventually conceded that its forces likely caused her death but labeled the incident an accident.
The Biden administration faced immense pressure to conduct an independent investigation, yet consistently maintained that Israel was capable of conducting its own.
Reports surfaced in late 2022 suggesting that the FBI was investigating her killing but were never confirmed by the U.S. Department of Justice.
More than three years post-incident, Abu Akleh’s supporters and family still assert that justice in her case remains unfulfilled.
Tawfiq Ajaq, another tragic victim, was just 17 when he visited the occupied West Bank to reconnect with relatives.
On January 19, 2024, he was killed while driving a pick-up truck with friends when Israeli forces opened fire on the vehicle.
According to Mohammed Salameh, who survived the ordeal, the shooting was unprovoked.
Israel characterized the incident as involving an “off-duty law enforcement officer, a soldier, and a civilian” responding to alleged rock-throwing.
Salameh has disputed this claim.
While the U.S. State Department called for an urgent investigation into Ajaq’s death, nearly 19 months later, Israel has not shared any findings or charged anyone in relation to the shooting.
Ajaq’s uncle, Mohammad Abdeljabbar, expressed feelings of abandonment by their government.
Mohammad Khdour was also 17 when he was killed in nearly identical circumstances just weeks later.
Mansour, Khdour’s cousin and a witness to the shooting, revealed that gunfire came from a vehicle displaying Israeli number plates.
This unprovoked shooting occurred just after the two had spent time taking selfies and enjoying cookies together.
As with Ajaq’s case, Washington demanded a probe.
Then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, “There needs to be an investigation. We need to get the facts, and if appropriate, there needs to be accountability.”
However, advocates argue that Israel typically initiates insincere investigations into such incidents.
In this instance, officials did not even acknowledge Khdour’s killing, with the Israeli military and police stating to Haaretz that they were unfamiliar with the case.
The situation worsened with the tragic loss of Jacob Flickinger, a U.S.-Canadian dual citizen who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) vehicle in Gaza on April 1, 2024, alongside six other aid workers.
This incident ignited global condemnation and anger.
President Biden called for a swift investigation into the strike, insisting it must bring accountability.
Nonetheless, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the blast as a “tragic accident,” the Israeli military later claimed that the commander responsible had mistakenly assumed that gunmen were within the aid vehicle, despite the clear identification of the WCK logo on it.
Although Israel dismissed two commanders involved, no criminal charges were levied against anyone.
Since then, hundreds of aid workers have been killed in Gaza, including Palestinian staff members from the World Central Kitchen organization.
In a significant development, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant based on allegations of war crimes committed during the ongoing conflict, including the use of starvation tactics in warfare.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Washington state native, was yet another victim when she was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier during a protest against an illegal settler outpost in the West Bank on September 6, 2024.
Reports indicate that Eygi was shot in a calm period after violence had subsided, contradicting claims of chaotic engagement.
The State Department urged for a rigorous investigation into Eygi’s death but ruled out conducting its own inquiry.
President Biden referred to the incident as an accident, while Blinken condemned the action as “unprovoked and unjustified.”
Eygi’s family criticized the Israeli military’s conclusion that her killing was likely indirect and unintentional, labeling the assertion as deeply offensive given her targeted nature.
Amid ongoing conflict, Randy Fine, a Trump ally and current Congress member, infamously celebrated Eygi’s death, tweeting that there was “one less #MuslimTerrorist.”
Kamel Jawad, a respected leader within the Lebanese American community in Michigan, suffered a tragic fate when he was killed by an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on October 1, 2023.
Initially, the Biden administration denied Jawad’s U.S. citizenship, later acknowledging it with alarm over the circumstances of his death.
The State Department asserted that it is imperative for Israel to take all feasible measures to minimize civilian harm, stressing the tragedy of any civilian loss.
Following Jawad’s killing, Israel has remained unresponsive publicly.
Amer Rabee, just 14 years of age, was fatally shot by Israeli forces in the West Bank on April 6, while two friends were also injured during the incident.
The Israeli military described Rabee and his friends as terrorists engaged in rock-throwing, a narrative his family disputes, asserting he was merely picking almonds along the roadside.
The Trump administration displayed no initiative to hold anyone accountable or to even publicly inquire about the details surrounding Rabee’s death.
The only response from State Department cited the Israeli military’s assertion regarding the circumstances of the 14-year-old’s killing.
Instead of pursuing clear accountability, the U.S. government expressed its condolences to Rabee’s family, attributing the incident to the context of a military operation.
As these incidents continue to unfold without accountability, the families of the victims remain in a struggle for justice, caught in the crosshairs of a complicated political landscape where U.S.-Israel relations often overshadow the demand for accountability.
image source from：aljazeera
